The August Eberhardt family is shown at the McAllister House in Manitowoc Rapids in this photo, believed to be from the 1880s.

Written by

Mike Maher
Preserving the Past columnist

On May 1, the McAllister House Welcome Center will open at Pinecrest Historical Village, 924 Pine Crest Lane, Manitowoc.

Each year, thousands of visitors will cross the wide plank pine floors and explore history inside the walls of hand split lathe that once provided shelter to Manitowoc County pioneers such as Hiram McAllister and the August Eberhardt family.

The walls cannot talk, but we are fortunate to have a first-hand account of the experiences of a young August Eberhardt, who lived in the McAllister House in Manitowoc Rapids from around 1882 to 1897, when his son Henry took over ...